The Power of Publishing Information on the Internet

Publishing information on the Internet is one of the easiest things a business can do.  Publishing information on the Internet:

1. Increases awareness of your business among both customers and prospects alike;
2. Improves your ranking on Google and the other major search engines;
3. Has the potential to add a new revenue stream to your business where one did not exist before.

I was visiting with a client yesterday that has a successful business selling traditional forms of information (books, journals, articles, etc.).  The business owner recognized that his customers and prospects could benefit from being able to more quickly access the information he sells.  He also recognized that there existed a niche his competitors weren’t taking advantage of.

So last month we launched a new eCommerce website for his business, and today customers are downloading his information products for immediate use (rather than wait for the printed copy to arrive by mail).  What’s more, customers can download only the PORTION of the information product that they require, giving him a unique competitive edge in his industry.

Information products that are delivered electronically have a much higher gross profit margin than traditional information products, since there is no physical “product” to produce and ship.  Create the electronic product once, and it is there for everyone to purchase and download.

What information do you have that customers and prospects might benefit from?  You needn’t be in the publishing business to have information that your customers and prospects want:

• If you sell mattresses, perhaps you could offer an eBook that discusses the various causes of backache and snoring, and which mattresses are best at alleviating the problem;
• If you are a law firm, perhaps you could offer information on how to best protect your business from various forms of corporate liability;
• If you are an accountant, perhaps you could offer information on financing and lines of credit.

The information that you have can be sold, or you could give it away for free — perhaps as an inducement to get prospects and visitors to your website to provide their names and email addresses so that you can build a database of prospects to which you market regularly.

Internet marketing is vastly underutilized by most small businesses, primarily because they don’t understand how to use it, or don’t have the time to do it themselves.

Call or email me and I will help you — (631) 756-0404 or alehrfeld@flexiblesystems.com.

–Andy Lehrfeld